Officers from the Costa Rica Drug Control Police (Spanish initials: PCD) dismantled various indoor marijuana growing operations this week, and two expats from the United States were arrested during the law enforcement operation.

 

According to a press release from the Ministry of Public Security (Spanish initials: MSP), the PCD officers had enough information from confidential sources and surveillance to carry out a series of raids in the districts of Pavas and Paseo Colon near Downtown San Jose. Another two locations in the Greater San Jose Metropolitan Area (Spanish initials: GAM) were carried out: one in the upscale district of Escazu and the other in San Rafael de Heredia.

 

Of the four men who were arrested by PCD officers, three are expats. One has been identified as 31-year old U.S. citizen “Kjar,” who is a permanent resident of Costa Rica. The other U.S. expat is 44-year old “Zev;” his immigration status has not been determined. The third expat is from Colombia. None of the men arrested have criminal backgrounds in Costa Rica.

 

Hundreds of cannabis plants cultivated hydroponically were seized by PCD officers at the four locations. According to MSP officials, the growing and distribution operation aimed to profit from the demand for more potent marijuana strains; this demand is mostly concentrated in the GAM. Along with the cannabis plants, PCD field agents also seized a shotgun registered to a private security company, retail amounts of methamphetamine, U.S. dollars and local currency.

 

MSP officials also explained that the growing operations took place inside luxurious, single-family homes as well as inside a horse stable. Some of the confidential information received by PCD officers arrived via the 1176 phone line, and the informants were neighbors who complained about suspicious activity resembling retail drug sales at one of the grow houses, which happened to be located near an elementary school.